


The Case of the Disappearing Paw Prints

by cloneclubbingcreampuff



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Pre-Relationship, Slow Build, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 19:30:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4031884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloneclubbingcreampuff/pseuds/cloneclubbingcreampuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Abby takes a break from her busy job and applies at a summer camp.  She ends up getting a lot more than she bargained for, and making a new friend along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Being a camp counselor isn't all that different from parenting, Abby thinks, as she sits near the campfire and helps a young girl transfer her melted marshmallow onto a graham cracker with chocolate. S'mores probably aren't the best idea given the sugar high that is sure to kick in soon, but Raven agreed that the kids had behaved well all day and so deserved a treat. It's been about a week since camp officially started and Abby is glad she chose to apply for a camp counseling position. Clarke had decided to stay with her dad all summer, so it's nice to take a break from her house that just feels way too big if her daughter isn't there.

Raven Reyes, one of the other counselors who oversees Cabins A through E, is sprawled on a log and is eating another s'more, which Abby is sure is at least her sixth or seventh. She's totally relaxed and at ease. 

Abby has to admit, being out in nature like this is the best therapy she could ask for. And given how lonely she's been lately, the dulcet tones of Kyle Wick's guitar and the idle, satisfied chatter of the twenty girls huddled around the fire, even though it's not cold out at all, is just...it's totally perfect. 

"I'm bored," one of the girls pipes up. Stephanie, Abby thinks, if memory serves. It's hard to keep track. "Raven, tell us a story." 

Abby smirks. Raven is notorious for her story-telling. She's been a counselor at Camp Mecha for the past three summers, and it's clear that she has a pretty devoted fan base, given how many girls give a chorus of agreement to Possibly-Stephanie's remark. 

"Fine," Raven grunts, and sits up. "Since you asked so nicely." 

The sarcasm is lost on some of the younger kids, but the older teenagers snicker and Raven shoots them a glare. The chatter stops when Raven clears her throat, and it's amazing to watch as all the girls lean forward, enraptured already by the words Raven has yet to speak. 

"There are rumors," Raven begins, "that a beast wanders these woods. Not just any beast, but a great, hulking creature that can kill someone with one swipe of her claws. She's vicious, huge and deadly, and likes to hang out by the tool shed on the east side of the lake late at night. And since you are all good girls who don't sneak out of their cabins when it's dark, you'll be safe," Raven finishes. 

"That was lame," one of the older girls says. "There's no beast. You're just trying to scare us into behaving." 

"Sasha, you're sixteen," Raven shoots back. "You should know how to behave." 

"She's right," Abby agrees, even though in her experience, teenagers and good behavior hardly ever go hand-in-hand. But it is up to the older kids to set a good example and Abby knows it's best to present as a united front, especially when it comes to discipline. Kyle starts playing his guitar again, a soft, sweet tune that Abby loses herself in for a few moments. Being out here is so enchanting. Almost magical. The crickets chirp in time with the music and Abby reaches for a s'more, biting down on the soft chocolate and letting out a soft moan. 

She feels Raven's eyes on her, then looks up to see the other woman smirking at her. Her eyes shine in the firelight, and Abby smiles back. Raven is nice, even if she puts up a sarcastic, unaffected front. Abby's seen how good Raven is with the kids, how she always listens to them and cares about their problems, no matter how small they are. 

It's only been a week, but Abby feels at home here. 

 

\----

 

The cabin that Abby is bunking in has a leaky roof, and so when the inevitable summer rains come just as she's getting ready for bed one night, she braves the damp cold and walks the quarter-mile to Raven's cluster of cabins. The sign that says 'Cabins A-E' is worn and the paint is chipped, and when Abby gets to Raven's door, she's slightly out of breath. 

"Hey," Raven says, surprise coloring her features. "You okay?" 

"No. I mean, yes, physically I'm okay. But my cabin--it's got a leaky roof and I was just wondering if I could borrow some pots and pans to keep the water off the floor." 

Raven's mouth opens and closes, then she blinks. "Damn. I thought I'd fixed that." She lets Abby in then, as if she's suddenly realizing just how hard the rain is pouring down. The warmth of the cabin hits Abby's skin and she sighs, runs a hand through her hair. "You could just stay here. I don't bite," Raven adds. 

"Oh, no. I wouldn't want to impose. And I should be in the cabins near the girls, in case they need me." 

"Just for one night, then. Until the rain clears up, and then I'll patch up your roof. I don't know why it's still leaking. You have your walkie talkie on you, right?" At Abby's nod, she continues. "Then if the girls need you, they can use theirs. Each cabin has one in case of emergencies."

Abby doesn't argue, just nods and walks further into the cabin. "You're a camp counselor and the maintenance crew? That's impressive," she remarks, then plops down onto a chair. 

There are two bunk beds in the room, just like all the other cabins, but Abby catches sight of an Avengers poster in the corner and black sheets on the top bunk bed and feels like she's intruding. 

"Thanks," Abby hears, and her gaze falls on Raven again. "Really though, I love it here. It's like a home to me. So I'll keep mending roofs and telling dumb stories, because there's nowhere else I'd rather be." 

"Your stories aren't dumb," Abby protests. "I like them. Horror is definitely your genre." 

The smile Raven gives her in response makes something inside of Abby squirm. It's restless and unfamiliar and Abby's not sure what to say. Did she say something wrong? Is she giving too many compliments? She hopes she's not being too annoying, or overbearing or anything. She wants to be Raven's friend.

"Thanks," Raven says again, then walks over to her bed. 

It is rather late; Abby should probably be going to sleep. After saying good night, she takes off her nylon jacket and gets in the bed opposite Raven's. Then she lies awake, wondering just what she's gotten herself into.

 

\----

 

That question is answered (somewhat) the next day, when Abby is taking an early morning stroll and happens upon a set of footprints that--aren't footprints. Paw prints are spread out before her, leading to the bridge on the north side of the lake. They look like a dog's prints, but Abby hasn't seen any dogs around. None of the girls are allowed to bring pets, and as far as Abby knows, none of the other counselors have a dog. 

She asks Raven about it later at lunch, but the counselor just shakes her head and changes the subject. Quickly. Too quickly for Abby's liking. 

"Your roof should be good now. Tell me if you need anything else fixed," Raven segues, sitting down across from Abby at a table in the middle of the mess hall. The kids cluster around them soon enough, and Stephanie (that is her name; Abby checked) sits next to Raven, nodding to her and leaning back in her chair.

Abby has to smirk. Not only does Raven have fans, but they've started imitating her. 

But, back to the matter at hand. Whose paw prints were those? This property is owned by the Sinclairs; it's private, not federal. So why is a dog wandering around the lake? Abby's heart clenches at the thought of a starving stray dog living in the woods, needing food and a family to love them. 

And what, exactly, is Raven hiding?

These questions plague Abby for the rest of the day, and as she's overseeing the afternoon arts and crafts for the girls from Cabins F through J, she promises herself that she's going to find out the answers to all of them.


	2. Chapter 2

There's still a month and a half of summer camp left. Abby has time. But it feels like she's not any closer to figuring out the secrets of this place, this refuge for girls that has been around since the late 70's. Somehow that knowledge doesn't comfort Abby, because Raven becomes more surly and distant the more Abby asks about the place, the property, and the tenants who take care of the camp when summer's over. Gone is the easy rapport they had when she first came, and it makes Abby feel guilty and alone.

Her curiosity has gotten her in trouble before, to be sure. She just hates losing friends because of it. On top of that, she misses Clarke more with each passing day. Her phone doesn't have service out here, so the only way to get a hold of her is to use the landline phone in the front office. She asks Sinclair if she can use it, and he nods and takes her to his office located in the registration building. 

"Hey, mom," Clarke says when she picks up, and Abby feels herself relax. Clarke sounds like she's really happy and that's all Abby could possibly want. "How's Camp Mecha treating you?" 

"It's fine," Abby says, a little too slowly. "I mean, it's great."

Clarke waits a beat. "I know that tone of voice. What's wrong?" 

"Nothing. I just...I miss you," Abby breathes. "How is your visit with your dad going?" 

"Really well. We've bonded a lot, and we have a barbecue like three times a week. It's nice. But as much as I love meat, I kind of miss your cooking." 

"Oh, well, that's nice." 

"I miss you too," Clarke laughs. "Something is definitely up with you. Are the kids giving you a hard time?" 

"Some of them. But it's nothing I can't handle. And the other counselors are nice." 

"That's good," Clarke says, and then starts talking about a new art project she's working on. She's going to art school and even though Clarke's on vacation, Abby knows her daughter and how restless she is. At least mentally. She's always thinking of new paintings, new ways of seeing things, people and places and how to capture that on a canvas. 

They talk for the next fifteen minutes, and then Abby has to go, because she's supposed to take her group canoeing in the lake. Being in charge of twelve girls is a task that Abby is getting slowly used to. She's proud to say she can remember all of their names, and it's nice because there's a level of trust between them now that makes everything that much easier. 

The water is cold. When they take the canoes out to the lake, Charlotte and Antonia almost fall into the water, but Sasha pulls them upright. Abby flashes her a look of gratitude before getting in her own canoe with Hannah and Spencer, and they paddle around the lake for a good two hours until Abby's arms ache. 

 

\----

 

Because of her current state of exhaustion, Abby is temporarily putting off her investigation of whose damn paw prints she'd seen. It shouldn't bug her this much; she knows that. Whatever is going on, it's probably harmless. So some dog is living at camp and likes to hang out near the lake. That's hardly a reason for Abby to be so stressed.

When she sees Raven at dinner, she goes to sit next to her, and the young woman gives her a smile that seems forced. 

Abby holds back a sigh as she stabs her green beans. "Have I upset you in some way?" She blurts, looking up at Raven who is sitting with her elbows propped on the tabletop. They're not alone, so Abby keeps her voice level. 

Raven frowns and shakes her head. "No. What would make you think that?' 

"You've been avoiding me."

"No, I haven't. I've just been busy. And I've already told you everything about this place and I'm sick of you peppering me with questions about it. Whatever paw prints you saw were probably some stray that wandered into camp. It's probably long gone by now." 

Abby nods, feeling sheepish. "Okay. I'm sorry I bothered you." 

"It's okay," Raven says quickly. "I mean, I'm sorry if I made you feel bad. I like you, Abby. I think you're a badass and I'd love it if we could...start over. Be friends." 

She smiles, and feels the tension leave her body as if it was never there. "I think I'd like that very much." 

 

\----

 

Three nights later, Abby is woken up by a piercing scream, and fumbles for the clock to see what time it is. 3:13. Groaning, she swings her legs up and pulls herself out of the bottom bunk, being careful not to hit her head as she straightens. 

Pulling on her robe is an arduous task because of how tired she is, but she manages and swings her door open, her slippers crunching a staccato beat on the gravel as she makes her way to Cabin F.

Cabins I and J are vacant, but Abby swears hears rustling and footsteps from their direction. She whirls, but nothing is there. No beast. No dog. 

'Calm down, Abby,' She tells herself. 'Deep breaths.'

She knocks on the door to the cabin and almost falls over as Charlotte flings open the door and rushes towards her, hugging her tight. She mutters unintelligibly into Abby's shirt, and Abby rubs her shoulders slowly. They stay out on the porch even as Abby hears voices inside asking what's going on.

"Shhh, it's okay," she replies softly. "What happened?" 

Charlotte pulls her face out of Abby's shirt, but doesn't let go. "I saw something. The beast Raven was talking about. I saw it outside my window. It was black, and huge, and had lots of fur and big claws and it looked right at me." 

First things first, Abby thinks. "What were you doing up?" 

Charlotte looks up at her, and Abby knows she's being sincere when she says, "I was getting a drink of water." 

Abby doesn't completely rule out the idea that maybe Charlotte had been planning to sneak out, but she smiles down at her and keeps rubbing her shoulders. The girl is shaking, so whatever scared her is definitely going to make her think twice about sneaking around at night. 

So Abby doesn't pass it off as a dream, doesn't try to reason anything away. Whatever Charlotte saw, it wouldn't be a huge leap to assume that the paw prints she'd seen in the mud two weeks earlier belong to it. 

"Raven just made up that story about the creature in the woods. What you saw, it's not going to hurt you," Abby soothes, then walks Charlotte back into her cabin. 

The other girls go back to sleep, thankfully, but Abby has to keep reminding Charlotte to keep her voice down. After a few minutes, Charlotte slowly releases her grip and gets back into bed, and Abby tucks her in before walking back to her own cabin. 

She's definitely going to be having a few words with one Raven Reyes. Scaring little kids with tales of beasts that could kill them is not making Abby's job any easier, and summer camp is not a place kids go so they can get scarred for life. 

 

\----

 

"All I'm suggesting is, perhaps you could tell stories with a little less gore. Or if you're going to tell horror stories, save it for the older kids," Abby says to a grumbling Raven. They have some free time because it's visitor's day and all the girls are busy showing their families around camp.

Raven shakes her head, leans against a fencing post. The cabins loom over them and Abby is thankful for the shade. "So, what, you want me to tell stories about princesses and castles and all that crap? Gross. Horror is my genre. You said so yourself," Raven finishes, pointing a finger at Abby and stepping closer.

And she definitely hadn't known Raven could be this intimidating. 

She stands her ground, though. Because Charlotte doesn't deserve to be scared out of her wits. 

"Charlotte, one of my girls, screamed her head off last night because she swears she saw something outside of her window. I'm surprised she didn't wake the dead. And the 'beast' she said she saw was one right out of the story you told the first week I was here." 

"Oh, shit," Raven breathes, looking away. She looks scared, and Abby hadn't been expecting that. "I--okay. I'll stop telling horror stories. At least to the little kids. I'm sorry, Abby," Raven says, before stepping back and quickly walking to her cabin. It isn't like Raven to so easily capitulate, and Abby replays the conversation in her head. 

That doesn't offer up any clues. She raises her eyebrows and watches Raven's retreating form, wondering what in the hell just happened. 

She thinks she's probably going to have to get used to that feeling.


	3. Chapter 3

Making the two hour drive from Bend to Camp Mecha is something Clarke definitely didn't have to do. Abby is so surprised to see her, and hugs her for a good minute before Clarke makes a comment about needing to breathe. 

"I'm sorry," Abby laughs after stepping back. "This is just a really nice surprise."

"I'm glad," Clarke smiles. "I missed you."

"You're happy at your dad's, though, right?" Abby questions, and tries valiantly to make it sound casual and not like she's about to launch an interrogation. Judging by the look her daughter shoots her, she fails miserably. "He's feeding you and keeping you happy and healthy?" 

"Yeah," Clarke says, and Abby's grateful that she doesn't roll her eyes, even though she can tell how badly Clarke wants to. "It's good. He would have come, but..." Clarke trails off.

Abby just nods, and a pang settles in her stomach. After five years of being divorced to Jake, it's still difficult to talk to Clarke about how much it hurts. All of her energy has been spent on making sure Clarke knows that it was never her fault, and that, however cliche it sounded, she and Jake still loved each other, but had just grown apart. Fallen out of love. 

Whatever happens, Abby's just glad that Clarke is here. Maybe she can introduce her to Raven, even though she has no idea where she is. And her and Raven's conversation from before is still swirling around in her mind, making her anxious. 

 

\----

 

They go for a hike, just the two of them, and all thoughts of Raven shift to the back of Abby's mind as she shows Clarke just how beautiful the woods at Camp Mecha are. 

"So, are you seeing anyone?" Abby asks, looking over at Clarke, who keeps her eyes ahead and just shrugs. 

"Are you?" 

"Not at the moment. And don't think I didn't notice you deflect the question, young lady. I'm going to figure it out sooner or later." 

"I pick later, then," Clarke smirks. "I'm busy with projects and making sure dad doesn't burn the house down with his fireworks. July 4th was not a fun time for me." 

Abby laughs, then quiets as something catches her eye. The paw prints she'd seen down at the lake are on the path before her, leading deeper into the woods. They're probably four miles from the nearest cabin at this point. Abby has never been out this far and wonders if the ever elusive dog lives nearby. She stops, then stares down at the ground. When she moves forward, her legs feel wooden and she feels her fists clench. She's going to get to the bottom of whatever this is. She's sure it has something to do with Raven, given how she acted earlier. 

"What's up?" Clarke queries, bending down slightly. 

"Just trying to solve a mystery," Abby mutters, following the paw prints. She can practically feel Clarke's frown, but doesn't turn. "I just don't understand why Sinclair hasn't called animal services. Obviously there's some animal traipsing around here and--" 

She stops talking as the paw prints just vanish right in the middle of the path. Human footprints take its place, and Abby frowns, doubles back a bit. There weren't any human footprints walking alongside the animal ones, so it isn't as if someone could have come along and picked up the dog. 

And this trail is fresh. That much Abby knows. 

"Mom, you're obsessing. I know you like to have something to focus on, but...this isn't all that strange. Maybe the paw prints just got rained over." 

"Then how come these ones are intact?" Abby hisses, pointing down. 

"I don't know," Clarke sighs. "Okay, so maybe it's a little strange."

 

\----

 

Abby introduces Clarke to Raven at dinner, and the two seem to hit it off all right. The mess hall is crowded, but they manage to find a place to sit. Clarke plops onto a wooden bench and Raven and Abby sit next to each other. 

Her elbow knocks into Raven's and she apologizes, trying to slide down the bench even though there's no bench left. It's hard to be this close to Raven, and even harder to be her friend when she knows that she's lying to her. And everything that Abby's been thinking about: the paw prints, what Charlotte saw, Raven's defensiveness and then her sudden change of heart--it's all forming a jumble in her head, making it ache tremendously. 

She manages to fake it for long enough that Clarke doesn't say anything. Not in front of Raven, anyway. But when Abby walks Clarke out to her car, Clarke stops and rests her hands on her mom's shoulders, looking into her eyes. 

"Okay, so I wasn't going to say anything, but it's clear that you're stressed out, and i'm pretty sure that summer camp is supposed to have the opposite effect. If it's bothering you that much, you could just bail. I'm sure they could pick up the slack." 

Abby shakes her head. "I couldn't do that. As maddening as Raven is, she's--we're friends. Kind of. And I don't want to throw that away, even if I am annoyed with her." 

Clarke's hands slip off of her shoulders and the silence sits between them for a few moments, making Abby wonder if she'd said something too revealing, because she feels kind of exposed under her daughter's intense gaze. 

"You really like this place, huh?" 

"Yes. It'll be over in a month, anyhow. Until then, you keep your dad out of trouble for me, all right?" Abby says, then hugs Clarke and kisses her forehead before she can slip out of Abby's grasp. 

 

\----

 

With all the strange things happening at night, it's hard to see why anyone could think this place would be a safe haven for campers. It becomes clear that even though Abby thought she was doing a good job being a counselor, leading by example and enforcing the rules without being too strict, she's out of her depth when it comes to a group of four teenagers in her group. 

She should have expected this, really. Things were just going too well for there not to be any pending acts of juvenile rebellion. She makes rounds at around eleven, making sure the girls are all snug in their beds, but Sasha, Gayle, Nicole and Erin are all conspicuously absent. 

So, Abby sits on the porch of Cabin H, knowing that once they show up, they'll be in for a huge punishment. 

Only, when they do come back, they all look completely and utterly terrified. Seeing Abby parked on the porch of their cabin seems to be the least of their worries. 

"Do you think it followed us here?" Gayle asks nervously, wringing her hands and shiftily looking at the others. 

"I don't know, but--I'm sure as hell never--" Sasha starts. 

Abby clears her throat then, alerting the delinquents to her presence. She stands up and folds her arms, not letting her curiosity distract her from making sure these four get a stern talking to. 

"In the morning, I'm going to be talking to Sinclair about you. I'm sure he'll agree that a letter to each of your parents telling them about how you broke the rules is a fit punishment," Abby says, her voice hard. "And, hopefully, you won't do it again. Hopefully now you see why that rule is in place." Abby strains against her instinct to ask just what the hell has them so spooked.

"Raven was right," Erin pipes up, and Abby pretends like she's not listening. "That beast? It's a wolf. And it's huge, and terrifying, and I'm sure as hell never going into the woods at night again. Jesus, I'm going to have nightmares for the rest of my fucking life." 

"Language," Abby snaps, and that makes the girls turn towards her. She can't stop herself from asking: "You're sure it was a wolf?" 

"Yes, ma'am. Black fur, with a white dot on its forehead," Erin replies, looking sheepish and scared at the same time. 

Black fur. Charlotte had made the same observation. 

"I'll deal with you in the morning. We'll all be going to Sinclair's office before breakfast, so get up at 7:30 on the dot, ladies."

The group disappears into their cabin, and Abby resists the urge to roll her eyes and sigh for the rest of eternity. Instead, she does something rather impetuous and maybe a little stupid. She goes into her cabin, pulls on a Camp Mecha hoodie, then puts a bottle of water and a flashlight into her backpack before making her way into the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who you gonna call?


	4. Chapter 4

Abby is two miles into the woods before she realizes that she probably should have brought something to defend herself with. Pepper spray, at least. It feels like it gets colder with each steps she takes, even though it's the middle of July and she's wearing a hoodie. Soon, every rustle of the bushes and every snap of a twig has Abby on edge, ready to crawl out of her skin. 

That's when she hears a shrill, loud howl that chills her bones even more. She feels the pain and loneliness of that cry from where she stands. The fear comes next, making Abby turn around and run. Her lungs burn and she feels herself sweat under the cotton of her shirt, and then she's by the lake, adrenaline pumping through every nerve. She can't do this anymore. There's a wolf in the camp, and it's probably going to eat all of the campers before the summer's over. All of her efforts will have been for nothing. 

Except...nothing has happened. No one has been hurt. Just scared. Including herself, now. She hadn't been scared before, just inquisitive, because she's always been a firm believer in the opposite of fear being curiosity. But all of that just seems so pointless now. 

"Abby? Is that you?" 

Abby abruptly stops running, almost tripping over her own feet as Raven suddenly appears next to her. How she got there so fast and how Abby didn't hear her are questions that she holds off on in favor of pushing a deep sigh of relief out of her lungs. 

"Oh," she pants. "Hi, Raven. I heard a howl and I guess my instinct took over. There's a wolf in these woods and I think we should tell Sinclair. This place obviously isn't safe. We need--we need to get out of here," Abby babbles. 

Raven says nothing for a few moments, just gazes at her, and Abby doesn't need this right now. She needs to act, needs to do something to feel safe, and Raven looking at her like she's crazy isn't helping. 

"What?" She snaps, flapping her hands out in front of her. 

"Nothing," Raven says. "Just...you don't need to worry. That was me, howling. I like to take late night walks sometimes. Looks like I'm not the only one," Raven smirks.

Abby narrows her eyes. "I don't believe you." 

Raven bites her lip, then throws her head back and howls, loud and long, and it's all Abby can do not to cover her ears, because, wow. It sounds incredibly realistic, and when Raven finishes, she gives Abby a grin. 

"I see now why half of the campers are afraid of you," Abby says, feeling her ears pop. "As if the horror stories weren't enough. But that doesn't change the fact that I saw paw prints. There's some animal here, and I have to figure out--"

"Why?" Raven interjects. "Why do you have to be so damn relentless about this? I told you it was a stray dog. This place is safe, I promise." 

Any lingering doubt that Raven is hiding something is completely obliterated now. Whenever Abby brings up the paw prints or the fact that there have been eyewitnesses that can attest to the fact that they've seen an animal, she gets defensive. 

"Is the wolf yours? Are you harboring a wild animal here?" Abby demands, barely stopping herself from stomping forward into Raven's space and grab her by the shirt. She's tired and frustrated, but she can't let that rule her actions. 

"No," Raven says firmly.

"How can I trust you?" 

Raven steps back then, clearly offended. "I guess you can't," she snaps, and marches in the direction of the cabins. Abby is getting so sick of this. 

 

\----

 

The frostiness between her and Raven lasts for the next two weeks, making Abby's job hard, but not impossible. The paw prints are not brought up again, and the four girls who snuck out of their cabins don't talk about what they saw, because they don't want to be labeled as troublemakers at camp. Charlotte keeps quiet, too, out of fear more than anything else. So everything has been (sort of) dealt with, but Abby doesn't feel like anything has been solved. There's no closure, no satisfying end to the mystery of what secrets this camp hides. 

Or, more specifically, the secrets that Raven hides. 

Abby is blessed with a rare day off when Monroe offers to take the girls from her cabin on a hike up Mount Taxawatchee near the south end of camp. She pulls on swim suit, then a t-shirt and jeans and makes her way to the lake, planning on spending the morning swimming. The birds chirp at her as she walks near a small copse of trees by the lake, and that's when Abby sees a flash of fur. 

It's only a moment, but Abby knows what she's seeing. It's almost familiar now, that feeling of surprise. She isn't scared, really. Because the fact of the matter is, this wolf is relatively tame. It hasn't hurt anyone. 

She watches as the wolf makes its way to the lake, and then jumps into the water. 

What resurfaces is definitely not a wolf, but Raven. 

Abby makes her way to the lake, wondering what is going on. Raven's eyes fall on her, and she stops at the shore, puts her hands on her hips. 

She catches the flicker of surprise on Raven's face before she schools it into a smile. "Hey, Abby. How are you?" 

Abby doesn't answer, just gets into the water without bothering to take her jeans and t-shirt off. She's so tired of pretending that this curiosity isn't eating her up inside and it's not until she gets closer that she realizes Raven is naked. Clearing her throat, she nails her gaze to Raven's face. 

The wolf is nowhere to be seen. And slowly, the dots start to connect. Raven's secrecy. Her obsession with the horror stories about the beast who spends its time around the lake. The way she freaked out when Abby brought up Charlotte and how she saw the animal. 

"It's you," Abby breathes, as if saying the words will help her to believe them. They don't, not really. 

Until Raven just nods, looking guilty. She doesn't deflect this time, and the resigned look on her face makes Abby feel guilty as well; she never knows when to quit and she feels like she's on the cusp of a discovery that will probably turn her whole world upside down.

"Yeah. Okay. You got me. I've never been caught before, so...congrats." 

Abby blinks. "Wait. So you're--"

"A werewolf," Raven says bluntly. 

Abby looks around the lake for a moment, then runs a hand through her hair. "Can we talk about this on shore? Preferably with you clothed," she adds quickly. 

 

\----

 

"I never meant to scare Charlotte," Raven begins, before Abby has a chance to ask. "It was a full moon that night and I had less control than usual because of...extenuating circumstances. I'd been stressed out. Shifting helps me to relax. And I thought everyone had been asleep, so they wouldn't see me.

"The second time was deliberate. It was hilarious watching those four brats run for their lives," Raven chuckles, looking off into the distance and wiping a hand on her jeans.

Abby smacks her on the arm. "It wasn't funny. You're--you're a menace. Scaring children isn't the way to get them to be good." 

Raven shrugs. "I just don't want any of the girls to turn out like I did. I'm an asshole." 

"No, you're not." 

"Abby, please. I'm a werewolf who spends her summers scaring the shit out of little kids. I'm the very definition of an asshole." 

Considering how Abby just found out about all of this, it's no surprise that her head starts spinning. She blinks and glances at Raven, who looks wistful and sad. And a little scared, too. She hides it well, but Abby can see it in her eyes. In the way her posture is slightly rigid, like she's ready to bolt. 

Then it hits her: Raven thinks she's going to tell Sinclair. Which is just ridiculous, because not only will it get Raven fired, but will probably get the both of them sent to the nearest mental institution as well.

"You're much more than that. The kids here love you, you must see that. You always make time for them, and listen to what they have to say, no matter how busy you are. You're thoughtful and kind. A thoughtful menace," Abby smirks, hoping to lighten the mood. 

Raven pulls on her beat up red jacket and shrugs. "It might be a while before I believe that, but...thanks." 

Abby nods. "I'm still kind of angry with you for lying to me, though." 

"How can I make it up to you?" 

"Be honest with me. I love it here, Raven, but it's more fun if we're actually speaking to each other, and you're not trying to avoid me because of some supernatural secret." 

"I can do that," Raven answers slowly, and Abby can tell that this trust thing is uncharted territory for her.


	5. Chapter 5

"Jake, I'm not saying that you're a bad parent, but I want you to make sure that if Clarke goes out drinking with her friends, she has a designated driver. Just because she's 21 now doesn't mean she should put herself in danger." 

Abby leans back in Sinclair's chair and stares at a black and white picture hanging on the wall. It's dated 1978 and Mrs. Sinclair is standing there with a bunch of campers, all sporting smiling faces. Abby had never had the chance to go to summer camp when she was a kid, and she realizes now how amazing it can be. The whirlwind of the past two months have changed her in a lot of ways. 

For one, she's never going to be able to watch werewolf movies ever again. And for two, she's found a new friend. Time will tell just where that road leads, but Abby feels like it could be the start of something beautiful.

She barely catches what Jake says next. "Don't worry, Abby. Lexa has that covered." 

That makes Abby sit up straighter. "Who's Lexa?" 

There's a pause, and Abby can imagine the look on Jake's face. Probably a mixture of guilt and fear, because he's never been good at dealing with Clarke when she gets mad. And judging by how he doesn't answer for a few seconds, Lexa is someone Abby isn't meant to know about just yet.

"Uh..I wasn't supposed to say anything. So, just pretend I didn't, okay?" 

"Jake. Does Lexa make her happy?" 

"Yes," her ex-husband says, honest and without any hesitation. She can practically hear him smiling through the phone. 

"Good," Abby says. "I have to go. Give Clarke my love." 

"Will do," Jake replies, and hangs up. 

 

\----

 

It's amazing how fast time flies after that. Bittersweet, too, because at the beginning of the summer it had seemed like it could last forever. But now it's almost over and she'll be going back to her house, her job, Clarke, and responsibilities that she hasn't thought about since late May. 

Rebecca, one of the girls in her group, makes her a card and gives it to her at dinner two days before camp ends. It's a beautiful card with bright colors and there's a drawing of the camp and the trees, and a stick figure that Abby assumes is her. 

Abby thanks Rebecca and promises that she'll hang it on her fridge, and it's hard to miss the blush on the girl's cheeks. 

 

\----

 

Abby hugs Charlotte goodbye, and watches her throw her bags into the van and climb inside. She hadn't expected this to hurt so much, or to get so attached to this place. She sees Monroe and Raven join her, and they all wave as the van pulls out of the parking lot and out onto the dirt road. 

Abby spends the next four hours helping to take all the signs and flags down, and with cleaning up around camp before walking to her Toyota and plopping into the driver's seat, totally exhausted.

She jumps in her seat as Raven's head pops into her vision, and leans in, resting her arms on the car door. 

"So," the werewolf begins. Werewolf. It's going to take a while to get used to that. "You're from Ark Canyon, right? About four hours away?" 

Abby raises an eyebrow. "Yes. Why do you ask?" 

"I'm from there, too," Raven says casually, her shades masking her dark brown eyes. For a moment, Abby is dismayed because Raven's eyes are beautiful and hiding them just seems like a crime. And it makes Raven even harder to read. "Maybe I'll see you around." 

The melancholy Abby has felt all day dissipates somewhat. "Maybe," she murmurs, wondering why her chest feels tight all of a sudden. "I think--I mean...I'd like to turn that 'maybe' into a 'certainly' so...would it be too terribly forward of me to--er--ask for your number?"

And, really? She feels like she's one of the main protagonists in a Jane Austen novel. 

Raven whips off her sunglasses, and Abby prepares herself for a rejection delivered with the typical bluntness that Raven wields so well. But no, what she gets instead is a soft, breathy laugh and then Raven's asking her for her phone. Abby hands it over and watches dumbly as Raven types her number into it, then gives it back. 

"Okay, Abby," Raven smirks. "I guess I'll _certainly_ be seeing you around, then."


End file.
